Food Spending.....the October 2024 Edition

Onward to October's Food Spending Report.....

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for October 2024.

I have posted October's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there. 
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in Octohyhhber.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods, Pet Food. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

BROOKSHIRE'S 

OOP  $30.16

Sales  $18.85

Value  $49.01

Savings  38.46%

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $12.23

Sales  $20.47

Value  $32.70

Savings  62.60%

KROGER

OOP  $431.31

Qs/Gift Cards  $318.05

Value $749.36

Savings  42.44%

LOWE'S

OOP $19.52

Value  $26.00

Savings  24.92%

WALMART

OOP  $156.75

Qs/Gift Cards $83.76

Value  $240.51

Savings  34.83%

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My best Store Savings Total was at Dollar General with a savings of 62.60%.  My worse rate was at Lowe's with 24.92%.  Not a bad savings rate average overall though.

I shopped at 5 different stores in OCTOBER.  

TOTAL Spent in October......$649.97

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$517.67

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,167.64

TOTAL Savings of........44.33%

This closes out the October food/toiletries/etc. spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....

On the surface our spending was a little high but that doesn't figure in all the rebating cash I got back.  Even so, we had a goodly savings percentage over regular retail anyway.

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went Up by 4.14% in October to 44.33% compared to September's 40.19% savings average.  

Since we have an adequate income and food should be a pleasure in life(no way am I going to eat unseasoned rice and beans for my remaining days like some people-because I don't have to). I will buy quality food and pay the price at the register.  I may not like the price but I will deal with it.

With 10 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $5,984.68 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.  Food prices have gotten to the ridiculous level, haven't they?

2024 Yearly Total Value of Items  $11,829.88

2024 Total Saved   $5,845.20

2024 Yearly Total Spent  $5,984.68

2024 Yearly Savings Total of  49.41%

The average per month amount spent is $598.47 in 2024 so far but that's before all the rebate monies are added in.

Remember that I withdraw all my cash rebate monies(Ibotta, Shopmium, TaDa, Checkout 51, Swag Bucks, My Points and other miscellaneous rebates-Aisle, Tremendous, Sampoll  etc. and have it sent to my Paypal)at the end of the year and add it back into my food budget, so at the end of the year my food spending will go down.  I don't add in all the cashed out savings until the end of the year,

The other savings apps like Fetch, Shop Kick, Kroger Cash Back that let us get free gift cards(or $ off your grocery total-Kroger Cash Back), those are added back in when I cash those points in along the way.  Alexa app gave me Amazon credit onto my account but I don't buy food on Amazon(sometimes I buy dog food there)so I really don't know how to count that and it's defunct now so I won't worry about that bit.

Because I don't like to let money sit in these rebate accounts and Paypal, I send $$ to my bank account throughout the year.  So far I have sent $2,717.68 from various rebating programs and through Paypal to my bank.  If you add in all that my food spending at the 10 month point in 2024 comes in at $3,267.00 or $326.70 per month.

Besides all I sent to my bank account I have more $ sitting in these various rebating programs as well as in Paypal.  This is not counting Alexa, ShopKick or Fetch, which all comes out in gift cards or Amazon credit.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NOVEMBER 2024.....

After we went through and organized the freezer, I am trying to eat down freezer/pantry in November and it seems like most of my grocery spending lately has been for Food Bank donations.  I hope to spend less in November than in October but time will tell.  Inflation is still crazy high so spending is more than I'd like it to be.

Gone are the days of a $350 grocery budget.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in October?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just keep your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons versus buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?

*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

*  Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The  "Together All The Time" Edition--

Like this pair of mourning doves which have taken up residence in my backyard, Hubs and I are now together all the time.  Yes, he retired as of Friday and now I have a shadow around the house 24/7.
Goodness what have I done? lolz


Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week--

1. Sunday--Lobster, Grilled Corn on Cob

2. Monday--Rigatoni w/Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad

3. Tuesday--Subway sandwiches using gift card

4. Wednesday--Steak, Fried Zuke, Corn Casserole

5. Thursday--Lemon Pepper Chicken with Zuke over Rice
6. Friday--Chicken Marsala over Noodles, Mixed Veggies(Daughter cooking)
7. Saturday-Fish and ?(Daughter cooking)

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Lobster, Grilled Corn on Cob

2. Monday--Rigatoni w/Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad

3. Tuesday--Chinese Take-Out

4. Wednesday--Steak, Fried Zuke, Corn Casserole

5. Thursday--Lemon Pepper Chicken with Zuke over Rice
6. Friday--Chicken Marsala over Noodles and Mushrooms(Daughter cooking)
7. Saturday-Fish and Stir-Fry Veggies in Teriyaki Sauce(Daughter cooking)

Last week saw 6 nights of home cooked dinners, 0 nights of leftovers and 1 night of Take-Out.
Nobody was feeling Subway so we got Chinese instead on the night Hubs wasn't home for dinner.

I made 1 trip to the Weis Markets for $32.93, a trip to Price Chopper for $52.49 and a trip to Maine Source for $53.33, which all totaled came to $138.75 OOP.  This brings my June food spending total to $535.03.  There are 0 days left in the month. 

My savings percentages last week was 52.41% which brings the month's percentage to 66.16%. 

Leftovers going into this week.......zuke in sauce, rice, corn casserole, salmon, stir-fry veggies, chicken Marsala w/fettuccine and mushrooms.
We've got lots of bits and bobs of leftovers.  With Hubs home now for lunch during the week I don't foresee anything NOT being eaten.  ;-)

Here is this week's "food plan"....
* Denotes "complicated" meals

1. Sunday--Leftovers

2. Monday--Pork Tenderloin Sammiches

3. Tuesday--Hot Dogs, Burgers, Ribs, Mac Salad, Pie

4. Wednesday--Barbecue Pork, Rolls, Coleslaw

5. Thursday--Tacos or Taco Salad
6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday-? Daughter cooking

This week will see 5 new meals cooked, 2 nights of leftovers and 0 night of Take-Out/Eating-Out.  Daughter is cooking again this Saturday and I've got no clue what she wants to prepare.

What I need to buy for this menu? Ground Beef for hamburgers and hot dog chili, Cole slaw mix, buns and rolls, maybe a bell pepper and celery(the mac salad).  I am sure Hubs will want to pick up beer for the cook-out too.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?


Sluggy

2016 Food & Toiletries Spending.....October Update

Onward to October's food spending report.......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for OCTOBER 2016.

I have posted October's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2016 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.  I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in September.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 5(4-5 at home this month). No kids under 20.

******************

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $4.00
Value  $13.64
Savings   70.74%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $87.90
Value  $166.74
Savings  47.28%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PPs  $166.10
Value  $166.10
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $174.48
Qs/Ads $91.73
Value  $266.21
Savings  34.46%

TARGET
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/Gift Cards  $15.92
Value  $15.92
Savings  100%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $250.34

Qs/Ads  $279.69

Value  $530.03

Savings  52.77%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, Target at 100% and the Bakery Outlet at 70.74%.  My WORST savings rate was Shursave Market at 34.46%.  For all but 1 store shopped at, the savings rate was at least 47.28%.
I shopped at 6 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$516.72

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$641.92

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1,158.64

TOTAL Savings of ..................................55.40%
TOTAL Savings w/o Rite-Aid of ..............47.94%


This closes out the October food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into October wanting to do a $300(then changed to a $400)food budget for the month.
I actually spent $516.72, $116.72 over the extended goal amount.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went down by 7.49% in October to 55.40% compared to September's 62.89% savings average.
Still over 50% savings over regular retail is mighty fine though. 8-)

With 10 months accounted for, I have spent a total of $4,174.72 on food/toiletries so far in 2016 which averages out to $417.47 per month spent.  This is $11.02 higher per month than September's average.  My savings rate for the year is holding now at 60.99%.  This is a number I can easily live with. ;-)

LOOKING AHEAD To November 2016.........can it really be November already?.......
I've got a free meat item coming this month for Thanksgiving so Turkey dinner will just require some fresh produce purchases mostly as I've been gathering all the other fixings for that big holiday meal....unless I get a free ham instead to use for Christmas which makes sense frugally since Turkey is cheaper than Ham, so go for the one that is worth the most.  That means I'll have to buy a turkey but I am sure I can get a good price on one as other grocery stores around here have deals on them.

We will try to eat down some of the frozen assets here in November.  My food/toiletry spending will probably in the $400+ range but I'll try to keep it under $400.  No promises though with all the adult mouths I need to fill plus more on Turkey Day as we host the family dinner.

I'm going to put it out there now that I wish to stay under $5K total for food/toiletries spending in 2016. My thought was to do a $4K or lesss food year but then we gained two more adults fulltime in the household so that's that.
Staying at $5K means I have $825.28 left to spend this year on food.
Did I mention that there are still 2 months left in the year too?
Gulp!

To augment what I can spend out of the food budget, I have a $25 Weis gift card, a $20 Giant gift card, about $17 left on a Visa gift card too, so another $60+/- in "free" money to use beyond the $825.28.
Plus I have many Holiday foods/ingredients already acquired and a well stocked pantry/freezer to boot.
This will still be a struggle to mean everyone's needs here and not skimp on Christmas/Thanksgiving and stay under this mark.
But I am up for the challenge.....

Let the Holiday Food Games Begin!!  8-)))

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in October?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?
*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

2015 Food & Toiletries Spending......December Update & Year End TOTALS

Onward to December's food spending report.......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2015.

I have posted December's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2015 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.  I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in November.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 3(2-3 at home this month). No kids under 19.

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BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $4.75
Value  $20.45
Savings  76.77%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $8.00
Value  $19.82
Savings  59.63%%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP  $35.88
Qs/Ads/gift card $59.59
Value  $95.47
Savings 62.41%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card  $549.00
Value  $549.00
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $57.24
Qs/Ads $33.98
Value  $91.22
Savings  37.25%

SURPLUS OUTLET
OOP  $19.04
Value  $32.90
Savings  42.13%

TARGET
OOP  $0.00
Value  $14.38
Savings  100%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $278.76

Qs/Ads  $336.79

Value  $615.55

Savings  54.71%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Target and Rite-Aid at 100%,  Bakery Outlet at 76.77% and  Price Chopper at 62.41%.  My WORST savings rate was Shursave Markets at 37.25%.  Besides Shursave all my savings precentages were at Least in the 40's.  8-)

I shopped at 8 different stores this past month.

** My TOTAL out of pocket for December food/toiletries was $403.67.
However I cahsed out my Saving Star account(where some of my electronic coupons savings are deposited-I don't count these coupon savings in my monthly totals until it's cashed out)and was able to deposit $84.17 for 2015 into our bank account, thus offsetting $84.17 of food spending.  This brought my OOP spending from $403.67 down to $319.50.

TOTAL Out of Pocket........ $319.50**

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1119.29

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1438.79

TOTAL Savings of...................................77.79%
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........64.09%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into December wanting to do a $350 food budget for the month and I went over by $53.67 due to last minute Holiday temptations.  8-(  The only thing that saved the month was the cashing out and banking of my SavingStar rebates and I had almost forgotten to do that before year's end.  This deposit brought my food spending in December down to $319.50 so I finished the month under budget.

The monthly savings percentage went down by 1.2% in December to 77.79% compared to November's 78.99% savings average.  This is mainly due to all that free stuff I got at Rite-Aid in November Black Friday weekend and then I got less free stuff in December.  Still way over the 40% savings rate I like to see each month.

GRAND TOTALS for 2015

2015 YEARLY OOP SPENDING on Food/Toiletries........$4,338.87
2015 YEARLY VALUE OF ITEMS BOUGHT.........$11,975.45
2015 YEARLY SAVINGS of................$7,636.58
2015 SAVINGS PERCENTAGE on SPENDING..........63.77%

I have spent a total of $4,338.87 on food/toiletries in 2015. That averages out to $361.57 per month. We came in at a monthly average of under $400 for the year which pleases me.  By strategic shopping we were able to eat well AND save money. 8-)

LOOKING AHEAD To January 2016.........
As we are packed to the gills with food/toiletries I think we'll be eating down our stores at the house and not grocery shopping much in January.  I am thinking $200 in food spending for January and perhaps another $100 to stock up College Boy with provisions for the upcoming semester.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.
Here's hoping y'all had a great year for spending less on food in 2015.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in December?
*  Do you track your yearly food spending?
*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?
*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Now let's start 2016 off right by tracking where your money goes on food/toiletries/HBA/paper goods/pet needs.
Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy

November Food Budget....Spending Update for This Week

I went into this week with $56.12 left in my $300 November Food Budget.

On Monday I hit Maine Source for onions, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, mushrooms, butternut squash, a gallon of apple cider and 2lbs of mozzarella cheese for $29.68 OOP, a savings rate of 41.23% over reg. retail.

I then hit the local Shursave market for celery, 1 gal. of milk and 5 bags of assorted Hanover frozen veggies(.99¢ a bag!).  This all cost me $10.23 OOP, a savings rate of 44.50% over reg. retail.

And on Saturday I went back to Shursave to get more frozen veggies, ginger ale, ice cream, a can of "glop" and canned yams and spent another $12.12 OOP, a savings rate of 55.42% over reg. retail.

Total spending this week was $52.03 on $96.12 worth of reg. retail groceries and a savings rate of 45.87%.
And I have $4.09 left in my November budget, even with the $28.42 I spent on food bank donations I stayed under target.
Yay me! 8-)

I am done grocery shopping for this month.  Tuesday we start December(geez, already?!?)and I'll be back then with my November Food Spending Totals.

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Finishing the Yardwork" Edition--

This was the last week of unseasonably warm weather here in NE PA so a chunk of it was spent outside raking and disposing of the leaves.  I helped Hubs this year and was immediately reminded why I don't rake leaves......the nose and eyes started running and/or tearing because I am allergic to dead leaves!
bleh.
But we got it done anyway.

Onward to the meal planning!

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--Leftover Ravioli w/Meat Sauce, sauted Cabbage(leftover from the Cole Slaw head)
2. Monday--Pan Grilled Chicken w/sauce, Spinach Salad, leftover Corn Casserole
3. Tuesday--Leftover Spaghetti w/meatballs, Caesar Salad
4. Wednesday--Kielbasa on Rolls, leftover Beets
5. Thursday--Tacos or Taco Salad
6. Friday--Tuna Noodle Casserole or Broiled Rock Fish(depending on my mood), Tossed Salad, ?
7. Saturday--Leftovers of some kind

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ravioli w/Meat Sauce, sauted Cabbage(leftover from the Cole Slaw head)
2. Monday--Pan Grilled Chicken w/sauce, Spinach Salad, leftover Corn Casserole
3. Tuesday--Leftover Spaghetti w/meatballs, Garlic Bread
4. Wednesday--Kielbasa on Rolls w/Onions, Harvard Beets planned-over
5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself Night(Hubs at Spaghetti, I had Broccoli Soup)
6. Friday--Tacos or Taco Salad
7. Saturday--Hubs had leftover Spaghetti, I had leftover Broccoli Soup

Mostly adhered too, except that Tuna Casserole thing and I made a pot of Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

As for my grocery spending last week......Weis, Bread Outlet and loss leaders at a local market in town South of us saw my food spending last week come to $48.53.  Then I went to Weis again for Purex to donate to the food bank and found all those meat discount stickers....what to do, what to do? lolz  That $77.39 trip brought the November grocery spending to a total of $125.92.  I still have $174.08 left in the $300 food budget for the month.

Leftovers going into this week....taco filling, broccoli soup and corn casserole.  That's it.

Here is this week's "food plan"--

1. Sunday--Roast Chicken with Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli
2. Monday--Garlic Honey Shrimp w/stir-fry Veggies, Rice
3. Tuesday--Dinner Out(on gift certificate)
4. Wednesday--Meatballs Subs, Caesar Salad
5. Thursday--Leftovers
6. Friday--Tuna Casserole, Brussels Sprouts
7. Saturday--Leftovers

What I need to buy for this menu?.........nothing really since I bought the stir-fry veg last week. I have the whole chicken, shrimp, meatballs all in the freezer and assorted other fixings in the pantry already.  I have hoagie rolls to use up and meatballs in the freezer that Wednesday's meal is a given. ;-)

Even though I don't "need" anything this week, I will still go to the grocery stores this week to get more loss leaders for me(facial tissue, butter, salmon)and for the food bank(mayo, tuna, pasta sauce, pasta)plus anything that pops up as a LL with the new Weis ad on Thursday.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week?

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Unexpected Shopping" Edition--

We stopped and picked up 3 foods on Saturday while we were out South of here, at a grocery outlet type place that we saw had changed hands.  The bargains overall sucked but I found this 2lb. bag of Rockfish for $5.99.  First off, you can't EVER find rockfish anywhere here(and I love it!)and if you find it, it is way more than $3 lb.  So we are giving this a try.  I also got this massive barrel of German pickles for $3.99(so-so deal)and Hubs wanted to try this box of Italian tortas($4.99 for 4).  A torta is sort of a cross between a Calzone and a Pot Pie. lolz  I also picked up a dozen eggs for $1.99(mediums only but still a decent price lately for eggs).
 I'll report back on how all 3 of the untried foods tasted as soon as we partake of them....which won't be any time soon though. 
This little shop brought my food spending for the week up as you will see below.

 

Onward to the meal planning!

 

Here's what was planned last week.......
 

1. Sunday--Leftover Ribs, Leftover Potato Salad, Leftover Squash & Onions
2. Monday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Fish(freezer), Mixed Veggies(freezer), Roasted Potatoes(pantry)
4. Wednesday--Meatloaf(freezer), Collards(garden), Roasted Potatoes(leftover)
5. Thursday--Leftovers(Lasagna or Ribs)
6. Friday--Leftovers(Lasagna or Meatloaf)
7. Saturday--More Leftovers or Pizza take-out(use freebie)if we are tired of eating Leftovers

 

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ribs, Leftover Potato Salad, Leftover Squash & Onions
2. Monday--Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread
3. Tuesday--Chicken Soup w/Noodles(made from leftover smoked chicken breast), Apple Dumplings
4. Wednesday--Meatloaf(freezer), Collards(garden), Roasted Potatoes
5. Thursday--Leftovers(Lasagna)
6. Friday--Leftovers(Ribs, Potatoes), Salad
7. Saturday--Chinese Take-out(using an old gift certificate)

We didn't have the fish meal as I made the leftover chicken into a soup instead that night.
 

As for my grocery spending last week......$47.14 spent at Weis and Shurfine Markets and another $16.96 spent at Grocery Outlet for a total of $64.10 this week brings the monthly spending to $94.86 for October so far.  $205.14 left in the budget for food in October with 19 days left to spend.

Leftovers going into this week....lasagna, chicken soup, meatloaf, collards, romaine lettuce.
 

Here is this week's food plan--

1. Sunday--Leftovers(lasagna, salad)
2. Monday--Leftovers(meatloaf, collards)
3. Tuesday--take-out Pizza(using gift certificate)
4. Wednesday--Leftovers or Breakfast for Dinner or Fend for Yourself
5. Thursday--?no clue
6. Friday--?no clue
7. Saturday--?no clue

Late in the week we are "winging" it and early this week is use up leftovers or shove 'em into the freezer.  Lots going on this week here.  More later.


What I need to buy for this menu?......nothing really as we are in "use it up" mode with the food provisions.  The fridge is getting cleared out so I can do a major clean in there.
I also have apples that need to be used up this week so I am making apple pie today.

I have a few small Weis trips to get in this week before the sales ad changes, as well as a couple of transactions at Rite-Aid for freebies/moneymakers.
Stay tuned later for how those went off.....
 

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?    

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy